Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-11-05
Cenfain John McCafFertY.

There are but few old AriEonIans who do not remember Capt. John McC6fTersy, and the following, from the Alaska Free Press will be read with interest:
 1t seems that when McCafferty fret went up to Alaska, ss Q correspondent of the associated press, be proved A good deal of trebrsnd, and finally stirred up small riot against the Chinese laborers st Juneau, which resulted in all the Chinese (sOme eighty in number ] being run out of lie country, and finally ID McCsfierty himself, fol owing the bib Ical instruction Co stand not on the order of your going, but go at once. He boarded ihe steamer and wen. down with her to Victoria, telling the purEer that It wss 6 little too hot for him iu Alaska. but that he would jus, take a run on to Washington, and get the appoint ment of collector of customs at SitkG, and come back and make It pretty lively for his enemies in She territory. The puTser thought, of course, that this was all mere vsporing on she part of kepub- licRu John, and psid little attention tO T.. Judge, then, of his surprise, when, a few trips later, the McCBfieEty steps aboard at Port Townsend, with 8n "I- to!d-yOu so" expression On his face and his commission as collector of customs for Alaska, duly signed and sealed. He bad not iorgottOn his threat to make It lively for the Alasksns, and proceeded to do SO in great shape. In the midst of he amusement. he and the EitkAns were electrified bT the arrival of the steamer bearing not only the news that MT. McCsferly's appoint msuI had found so httle favor in the eyes Of the senate that they had almost unanimously refused to confirm him, and ihen added insult to injury by promptly confirming the new appointee the same day bis name was sent Tn. IL was too bed to play such joke on JohD. Unfortunately the editor of the paper m Sitks agreed with the United States senate in their estimate of the merits of The appointment of hcCsfTerty. and be was not backward in stating his views. This was thS last straw and the honora- ble John went for that editor with envy hstred snd malice, End other unchari- tableness In his heart. and 6 cowhide m his hand and a siI-shooter peepipg out of his pocket. The editor WAS thrashed md John was promptly arrested. His attorney was (how strange are the ways os fateD his successor in office, the new collector of customs, and tbe followina conversation took place between John and his attorney.
 "I don't see my way out of it, hcChi- feriy. except ,o try the insanity dcdge."
 "Good Lord, man, you mean to try and have me prove myself insane"
 Why, you know, tO horseUhip q man with q revolver in your pocket is felony, and II you are convicted you vlll go to the peniIentisry for three years, and they can't help but convict you; there were 6 dozen vitnesses.'
 So John sighed and consented, and the triRl took place. Johns lawyer olO- guently msde out his case; proved in- iu,iss 10 the head; proved eccontrici.ies; proved that many people had always thought that his client was CD insane mar, and finslly won his case. nnd jury Of McCaferIy's peers brought in yer dict of acquittsl on the ground of Insan- ity. My friend, the purser, had con verssiion with John on his way down oD the next trip ot the steamer after the tTisl, snd ssked him what he WAS Eoing 10 do LeIt. "Oh," replied the insane man, "1 am going to Washington and going to so for the governor, and loi of those fellows up there, and l intend to come back governor or United States Marshal myself" John has not got back yet. but the purser confidently eI- pects him aboard, every time be reaches Tacoma, with a governors commission sticking out of his pocket.